but sometimes, hiding is an option

#WriteIn2017: Breaking Out and Diving In

When I started this blog in 2013, the only objective I had in mind was to motivate myself to write more. I’ve already used numerous blogging platforms in the past but I wanted a clean slate–I figured that the fresh space here would eventually call out to me, like I was made to fill it with good stuff and wonderful memories.

It is now 2017, and I have done neither.

At this point it would have been easier to say the reasons why I neglected to write. But I’m not going to do that today.

From here on, I’m starting the clean slate I should have written on three years ago.

Breaking out and diving in

I am a person who is inherently opposed to trying out new things. I order the same food until I get sick of it. I drink the same coffee. I listen to the same songs.

My aversion to new stuff is a force of habit. Because I found something good, I always I assume that it is the best of them all and that nothing else would come close. It’s a pretty annoying trait that doesn’t really grow on people, even if they’re your friends. Believe me, I know.

So when someone invites me to go on a trip to some unknown island, or when I click on a video to see if it’s actually funny, I always hesitate because I don’t want to take risks. I also don’t want to do things that would potentially waste my time.

This year, I aim to change that.

At first I didn’t know where to begin. Should I join a class? Learn a new language? Talk to strangers on the street and hope I don’t get shot? I know that there are plenty of new stuff out there for me to try, but what should I do first?

A friend told me to ease myself into my plan first. Start with something small, like going to bed early to catch the sunrise the next day. It seemed easy on the onset, but I realized that disciplining myself to get more sleep was a lot harder than it looks.

So now, I want to try new things that I am having a hard time adjusting to. It’s not a groundbreaking plan, but it’s something that can teach me more in a week than a month’s worth of language or cooking classes. Eventually, I hope to take those classes when I can manage my time better.

I’m in, 2017!

But what does my blog have to do with all this?

In order to train myself to write more and break out of my shell at the same time, I plan to document my adventures by writing a blog post about them once a week.

It’s not going to be an easy task. My goal is to have at least 52 posts on my blog by the 31st of December–a cinch for pro bloggers but one hell of a journey for an amateur like myself. Still, it’s for the better. Maybe I can meet more people along the way and learn from them.

The rules are the following:

One blog post must be uploaded for each week of the year.

It must feature at least one new thing I tried over the course of the week.

The week starts on a Sunday and ends on Saturday.

No need for long explanations.

Provide photos as much as possible.

Don’t make excuses.

Don’t be a lazy ass.

I normally don’t set rules for myself, but since I’ve always been so stubborn, now is the time to unleash the dragon lady. I feel like I’m already violating rule number seven though, and it’s only the first week of January. This is going to be really tough.

That’s it for my new plan. It’s really simple and a lot of people must have done this already–I know some bloggers who even had daily writing goals. (a 2018 project, perhaps?)

If you have done something similar in the past, are starting a new project or in the midst of one, do let me know so we can share our thoughts and ideas with each other. I’d love to get tips as well.